WNC Sailor Lost At Sea, School Bus Driver Shortage, HVille High Finished

Crews Working To Finish Pratt & Whitney Plant Construction

(Asheville, NC) -- Crews are working quickly to finish construction at a large aerospace manufacturing plant in Asheville. WLOS reports more than 400 people are on the job at the million-square-foot Pratt and Whitney center off Brevard Road. The goal is to have it finished by November after only starting work just under a year ago. As many as 800 people are expected to be employed there by 2027.

WNC Sailor Lost At Sea

(Henderson County, NC) -- The search for a Navy sailor from western North Carolina is being called off. Fleets Services Command announced rescue efforts have ended after David Spearman fell overboard in the Baltic Sea on Monday. The 19-year-old was from the Etowah community in Henderson County. He just completed basic training earlier this year.

Asheville, Buncombe Schools Still With Bus Driver Shortages

(Buncombe County, NC) -- A bus driver shortage is likely to cause delays in Asheville and Buncombe County Schools. WLOS reports both districts are roughly short a combined 30 positions. The situation appears more dire for Asheville schools, where only 18 of 29 buses are expected to be operational by the time class begins. The executive director of operations said this week that they're doubling up on routes and having to schedule earlier pick-up times as a result.

Emergency Training Underway At Transylvania Schools

(Transylvania County, NC) -- The sheriff's office in Transylvania County wants the public to now about active training at two local schools today. Law enforcement personnel and school officials will be on hand at Rosman High and Middle schools to train in realistic emergency situations. Training props will also be used. A heavy presence is expected, but the public doesn't need to be alarmed.

Explore Asheville Partnering With U.S. Open

(Asheville, NC) -- Asheville is about to get some nationwide tourism publicity. The area's tourism organization, Explore Asheville, is signing on as a partner with the U.S. Open, which is one of tennis' major tournaments held this month in New York. Those who watch the tournament may catch a glimpse of on-court signage and other promotions.

Hendersonville High School Renovations Complete

(Hendersonville, NC) -- Students at Hendersonville High School are going to attend class on a newly-renovated campus. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held yesterday after crews wrapped up major work close to one-year ahead of schedule. A new building holding 50 classrooms was built, while the historic Stillwell building and auditorium were preserved. There's also new turf at the football field.

CMPD Investigating Another Homicide

(Charlotte, NC) -- A west Charlotte homicide investigation is underway. Officers say a man was shot to death on Nobles Avenue near West Boulevard and Billy Graham Parkway yesterday. The CMPD is still searching for a suspect.

Job Fair Brings Potential CMS Employees

(Charlotte, NC) -- CMS is still trying to fill positions ahead of the new academic year. The school district held a job fair yesterday in hopes of hiring 100 new nutritional employees, nearly 60 bus drivers and more. WSOC-TV reports there are also more than 400 open teaching positions, when there were just over 60 at the same time last year.

Stock Trading Firm Closing Charlotte Office

(Charlotte, NC) -- A stock trading firm is shutting down its Charlotte office. It was just in March 2021 when Robinhood announced it was adding nearly 400 jobs as part of an expansion in uptown. Now, the office will close as Robinhood lays off more than 20-percent of its company-wide staff. Any remaining employees in Charlotte will be able to work remotely.

Thousands Stolen In Charlotte Armed Robbery

(Charlotte, NC) -- The search is on for a north Charlotte armed robbery suspect. Investigators say a man robbed PLS Check Cashers at gunpoint Tuesday night. He got away with roughly 20-thousand-dollars. Luckily, there were no serious injuries.

Cornhole World Championships In Rock Hill

(Rock Hill, SC) -- The world's best cornhole players are in Rock Hill. The world championships for the American Cornhole League are being held at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center through Sunday. Around two-thousand people are taking part. WSOC-TV reports the tournament could bring in as much as four-million-dollars in revenue to the local economy.

City Officials Break Ground At Former Mall Site

(Charlotte, NC) -- Work is beginning at the old Eastland Mall site in Charlotte. City officials were on-hand yesterday for a groundbreaking on the property, which is expected to be the home for new apartments and retail space. Panthers' owner David Tepper initially planned to build a soccer complex there, but that project fell through.

Charlotte FC Blanks DC United

(Charlotte, NC) -- The Queen City's soccer squad is back in the win column. Charlotte FC defeated DC United three-nil at Bank of America Stadium last night. A United team captain scored on his own goal less than 15 minutes into the match. It's a quick turnaround for Charlotte, which hosts Chicago on Saturday.

Durham Police Searching For Suspects In A Mid-Day Double Shooting At A Gas Station

(Durham, NC) -- The search continues today for the gunmen who fired multiple shots at a Durham gas station Wednesday, wounding two people. It happened around 2 p.m. at the intersection of East Cornwallis Road and Roxboro Street. Evidence markers show more than 12-shell casings on the ground, along with bullet holes in one gas pump and into the side of a building. The two adult male victims were transported to a nearby hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Top North Carolina Democratic Leaders Vow To Dig On Anticipated Federal Court Decision On Abortion

(Raleigh, NC) -- As a federal judge in North Carolina considers whether or not to reinstate a ban on abortions after 20 weeks, Attorney General Josh Stein and other top Democrats held a news conference Wednesday, to announce their intentions to continue fighting to preserve access to abortions. Stein said decisions about reproductive care should be made by a woman and her physician, not politicians. U.S. District Judge William Osteen has given parties on both sides of the debate until next week to submit briefs.

Monkeypox Cases Have Now Jumped To 72 In North Carolina

(Raleigh, NC) -- New figures released by the State Department of Health and Human Services yesterday, showed the number of new Monkeypox cases has now risen to 72. This, as the federal government revealed Wednesday, that the manufacturing and shipment of vaccines has slowed. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, failure early on to request bulk stocks of the vaccine be produced by a Denmark based manufacturer, a scheduled shipment of a half million doses may not arrive in the U.S. until October.

Unemployment Reported Up In All But Two North Carolina Counties

(Raleigh, NC) -- The North Carolina Department of Commerce is reporting the state's unemployment rate for the month of June, increased in 98-of the state's 100- counties. Data released Wednesday showed the jobless rate was the highest in Edgecombe County at eight-percent, while Orange and Buncombe counties had the lowest at three-point-three percent. Statewide the unemployment rate was four-point-one percent in June.

Business Growth Continues On An Upward Trajectory In North Carolina

(Raleigh, NC) -- The North Carolina Secretary of State's Office says business growth in the Tar Heel state has been torrid so-far in 2022. In a report released Wednesday, the Office said 93-thousand new businesses were started between January of this year and the end of June. That's 3-thousand fewer than the record 96-thousand reported during the first six months of 2021. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall said despite the slight moderation, the pace of new business growth over the last 18-months has been phenomenal.

Girls Softball Little League World Series Coming To Greenville Next Week

(Greenville, NC) -- Thousands of girls softball fans will converge on the city of Greenville next week for the start of the 2022 Little League Softball World Series. The event, hosted by the 9-12 year old Pitt County Girls Softball All-Stars, will take place August 9-15 inside Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park. This year's World Series will feature 12-teams from across the United States and five international regions. Admission will be free.

PTI Experiencing Big Passenger Increase

(Winston-Salem, NC) -- Officials with the Piedmont-Triad International airport say they're seeing a big boost in passengers this summer. Airport leaders reported a 45 percent increase in travelers in May of 2022, compared with the same time last year. Raleigh Durham's airport saw a 24 percent hike for June of this year, as well.

No One Injured in Critical Landing at Smith-Reynolds Airport

(Winston-Salem, NC) -- No one was injured in a landing gear failure incident Wednesday at Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem. Forsyth County officials say the pilot of a small Cessna was the only person onboard when the plane's nose gear collapsed as the plane descended. The plane also had a fuel leak, which shut down the runway while crews worked on clean up.

N.C. A&T Using $24M in ARPA Money for Clean Energy Workers

(Greensboro, NC) -- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University leaders say they'll use nearly 24-million-dollars in federal grant money to create a clean energy workforce training curriculum. The officials say their STEPs4GROWTH program, partially funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, will create high quality training for current employers such as Siemens Energy and Duke Energy and future employers such as Toyota and Boom Supersonics.

Greensboro Hires New Intergovernmental Relations Manager

(Greensboro, NC) -- The City of Greensboro has hired a manager to increase better communications between the city and federal and state lobbying efforts. LaToya Caesar-Crawford is the city's first intergovernmental relations manager. She says the new role is a chance to connect stakeholders to the city's interests. Caesar-Crawford comes to the city administration after serving as the principal of Greensboro College Middle College.

Greensboro Takes Pledge To Protect Endangered Monarch Butterflies

(Greensboro, NC) -- Greensboro has joined other cities across the country in signing the Mayor's Monarch Pledge to protect endangered monarch butterflies. It's a promise to rebuild the monarchs' damaged habitats while teaching residents how to add flowers to their yards that help the butterflies. The National Wildlife Federation said the number of monarchs has dropped by approximately 90 percent over the past several decades.


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